Anime Expo 2011

Funimation Industry Panel

by Gia Manry, Jul 1st 2011

Marketing Manager Adam Sheehan and Social Media Manager Justin Rojas helmed Funimation's 2011 Anime Expo panel, which - as with many panels in the same room and others —started late due to prior panels' late starts. Sheehan promised to do his best to get some question-and-answer in despite their new time constraints, and offered that employees would be around to answer questions after the panel if they didn't have enough time.

Sheehan also acknowledged the passing of Funimation voice actress Cassandra Hodges, who recently passed away before moving on to Funimation news.

The first slide spotlighted Funimation's Relief for Japan efforts, in which they offer collectible items signed by American voice actors and other industry members on eBay and donate 100% of the proceeds to the Global Giving nonprofit organization, which passes the funds on to organizations in Japan.

Rojas proceeded to outline Funimation's social networking efforts on Twitter and Facebook, as well as their streaming on YouTube, Hulu, and the Funimation video site. Current simulcasts include One Piece, Toriko, C - Control, and Aria The Scarlet Ammo.

Funimation recently swapped their new website beta into their full website, and they are now launching a "Summer of Streaming" event which includes over 5,000 episodes available on the website throughout the summer. The event will also include special themed events such as beach week and shark week.

Rojas brought up the Trigun: Badlands Rumble movie, which will run in theaters in Los Angeles as early as next week, in Long Beach the week after, and in Anaheim the week after that.

The Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood iPad/iPhone/Facebook game application, Fullmetal Battle, will come out in July and demos are available this weekend at Funimation's booth. The twosome shared a trailer for the digital card game, which allows players to connect all across the U.S. to compete in alchemy battles.

Sheehan began to list recent releases, starting with the anime film To. Other titles include: Dance in the Vampire Bund and Rideback, followed by Sgt. Frog, and Shin-chanBaka & Test - Summon the Beasts, Noir, Eden of the East the Movie II: Paradise Lost, and Spice and Wolf II; a trailer was shown for all of the seriess in this group. Other August releases include Dragon Ball Z Dragon Box Six, Gungrave the Complete Series, One Piece Collection One, Fullmetal Brotherhood part five, Soul Eater: Weapons Collection, and Yu Yu Hakusho season two.

Rojas presented a trailer for Funimation's Anime Classics discount line, followed by the company's new announcements (which will include some previously-announced news):

The X-Box 360 and Playstation 3 videogame Dragon Ball Z Ultimate Tenkaichi is set for an October 25 release, which the audience watched a trailer for.

They have acquired Last Exile -Fam, The Silver Wing-, which will have its world premiere here at Anime Expo. Funimation will simulcast it, and release it on DVD and Blu-ray as well.

Funimation has acquired the second season and OAV series of Baka & Test - Summon the Beast.

Another new acquisition: catgirl-laden Asobi ni Ikuyo, which will be titled Cat Planet Cuties in English.

Funi will release the ecchi comedy B-Gata H-Kei under the title Yamada's First Time.

Sheehan called up Funimation's vice-president of licensing and acquisitions, Adam Zehner, to answer a few questions for fans, starting with why the company licensed so many former Geneon licenses; Zehner cited both fans' and Funimation employees' fondness for the titles. Rojas asked Zehner to elaborate on anime contracts that are ending in the near future and others that are being renewed. Zehner noted that Funimation will present a list of both titles in the near future, but states that some will no longer be in Funimation's catalog.

Asked how much licensing has changed in the last few years, Zehner discussed the entry and departure of some players in the market and Funimation's ability to interact with fans to learn what they do and do not like. He added that there are "interesting challenges" to licensing titles for Blu-ray release because unlike with DVD, Japan and the U.S. share the same Blu-ray region code. Zehner also talked about his entry into the industry; his education was primarily in acting, playwriting, and Asian studies, followed by six years living in Japan. He later moved back to Dallas, where his family was from, and got a call requesting him to interpret for Cowboy Bebop director Shinichiro Watanabe. During that event Zehner would meet Funimation employees and applied to work for them. He had a lengthy phone call with Funimation president Gen Fukunaga, met with him in person, and wound up getting the job.

Zehner revealed that Funimation had acquired two more shows to announce at Anime Expo:

Steins;Gate

Deadman Wonderland

The panel closed without a question and answer session due to time constraints, but Sheehan told fans to approach him, Rojas, and Director of Corporate Strategy Lance Heiskell to answer questions.

Theatrical anime poster art isn't just unbelievably cool, it's also a part of history. Mike takes us on a tour of his personal collection that doubles as a fascinating exploration of the form.― Think of that moment when you realized that you weren't some dumb kid anymore; that revelation that you could no longer be truly carefree, but instead had to at least pretend to be a grown-up. I don't think i...

This uneven but often charming journey into first love and hot-blooded justice has finally arrived on blu-ray! Nick Creamer has the details on Imaishi's bite-sized creation.― Hiroyuki Imaishi's name is almost synonymous with the Studio Trigger brand. After providing dynamic key animation and highlights like FLCL's manga sequences early in his career, he became the flagship director for Gainax's last...

150+ photos of Osaka's biggest anime event― Spring is in the air in Osaka. The plum blossoms are at their peak in Osaka Castle Park, and the cherry blossoms should start blooming next week. And it's time again for Osaka's biggest anime event: the Nippombashi Street Festa. This year was the 14th festival, held in Den Den Town, Osaka's equivalent of the otaku paradise of Akihabara. For those unfamilia...

Many anime couples don't get even get the chance to confess their feelings, much less tie the knot, but at least these lovebirds managed to take the first step together. These are just seven of the best popped questions.― Hey guys! I missed you over the last two weeks. I was laid up recovering from a minor medical procedure, but it let me both catch up on this season, last season, and marathon 50-s...

As the first novel in this spinoff series to go beyond the anime adaptation, this is recommended reading for transitioning between the two versions. Theron Martin explores this new content.― With volume 5, the Sword Oratoria novel series mostly passes beyond the end of its anime adaptation, picking up as Loki Familia is returning to the surface from the climactic events of the anime's final episode;...

Andrew Partridge , founder of Europe's Anime Limited and the Scotland Loves Anime film festival drops by to share his history and insight into the world of European anime distribution.― ANNCast Episode 324 - Scotland Loves Anime Andrew Partridge, founder of Europe's Anime Limited and the Scotland Loves Anime film festival drops by to share his history and insight into the world of European anime di...

Violet Evergarden and The Ancient Magus' Bride make their bids for the top of the heap as the race grows closer in the final weeks of the Winter season. Find out where your favorites rank!― Our team of reviewers are following 28 anime series of the Winter 2018 season and readers are rating each episode as the reviews go up. So let's have a look at what ANN readers consider the best (and worst) of t...

How long does it actually take for a production team to create a single episode of anime, end-to-end?― Mark asked: I have a pretty simple question. About how long prior to a show airing does animation production start? So not pre-production meetings or voice acting or anything like that, but the artists sitting down and drawing the whole dang thing. How much of a lead time do these artists need to ...

The magical world of this hit fantasy anime takes inspiration from a rich history of fairytales and folklore. Rebecca Silverman explores the stories behind the many wonders of Elias and Chise's adventures.― Kore Yamazaki is a dream of a mangaka. That's not just because she writes moving and fascinating stories that combine a slow, deliberate pace with likable and nuanced characters, but also because...

This sequel to the first action game in the franchise from KOEI-TECMO and Omega Force makes significant improvements on its predecessor, but is it worth a purchase? Heidi Kemps has the answers.― Omega Force's record with anime and manga adaptations is a bit spotty. We've had disappointments like Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage and Berserk and the Band of the Hawk, but we've also had some real win...

After months of buildup, this fantastical drama has finally delivered a breathtaking climax to Chise's long and difficult journey. We discuss our reactions to this game-changing turn of events.― After building us up for this moment over twenty-one emotional episodes, The Ancient Magus' Bride has finally delivered a breathtaking climax to Chise's long and difficult journey. This week in anime, Nick a...

It's a bursting pipe of Nintendo news, plus Dark Souls Amiibo, Broly arrives in Dragon Ball Fighterz, plus an interview with Viz Media's Eric Eberhardt on their indie games publishing initiative!― Sorry folks, no time for a witty intro sequence, we got a whole bucketful of news to get to from Nintendo Direct! Oh BABY. Let's start with the big stuff first: SMASH BROS IS HEADED TO SWITCH Well, what do...

After almost four years adrift on the tides, the boys of eternal summer are back with new adventures in advance of Free! season three this summer. Jacob Chapman dives into this theatrical continuation.― You know that sequence of heartwarming, lightly comedic images that flashed by during the credits of Free! Eternal Summer's final episode? We saw Makoto and Haruka studying together in college, Nagis...